Boy raises thousands to help children with stomas

A young boy, who has a stoma, has said he is "really proud" to have raised more than £5,200 to help other children who use the medical device.

Riley, aged six, from Melksham, walked 6.8 miles (11km) on 28 October in support of A Bear Named Buttony, a charity which gifts children with a stoma a cuddly toy bear.

Each bear costs about £30, with Riley raising enough to buy more than 170 bears - each of which comes with its own stoma.

"He was really proud of himself, he was really chuckling, it was amazing," said his dad, Andy.

"He got to about the seven kilometre mark and said, 'No, I don't want to do it anymore; my legs are hurting, my feet hurt and I'm cold', so we ended up stopping for some chips at the local just to get him going again," he added.

Riley has undergone 11 surgeries, including a vesicostomy at the age of two, which allows urine to drain from his bladder into a bag.

Trying to find a way of helping him deal with the process, Riley was given a cuddly toy by the charity and a storybook explaining why the bear has a stoma.

Wanting to help other children who have stomas, Riley had hoped to raise £150 to buy five bears but soon surpassed his initial target.

Before he set off, Riley said: "I am very excited to do my walk as I know it's helping lots of children like me who don't have a bear yet."

Riley carried his own bear in a backpack around the village of Bromham and was cheered on by teachers and classmates.

"His bear is really supportive for him. He's always able to have that comfort with him wherever he goes," Riley's dad said.

"It's also the way he explains to teachers and other children at school what he's got.

"It's been amazing to see that he's realised that it's not just him who has a stoma; there are other people with one, who are going through all this too," he added.

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